Factors Affecting Breasts Appearance After Explantation*

Women who contemplate breast implant removal whether it is for breast implant-related problems, implant rupture or deflation or desire for smaller breasts are concerned about the postoperative appearance of their breasts. There are many factors that determine breast appearance after explantation. Certainly the size of the breast implant and its volume relative to the native breast is a critical factor. It is important to know the implant size to help counsel the patient about what to expect. In many patients who have had that their breast implants for many years and even decades, the implant volume is not known and there is an expected degree of guesswork. Additional factors include Weight gain, breast aging and ptosis or breast drooping. Many patients do fine with explantation alone and are happy with the breast appearance. In situations where Breast ptosis is present, it will be made worse with explantation and breast lifting at the time of explantation is a good option. Patients with saline implants can have a preoperative deflation which may demonstrate their potential expected appearance. This 70-year-old woman was found to have a ruptured right breast implant during mammography which is not a common way of discovering rupture. She underwent en bloc capsulectomy with implant removal bilaterally. Her implants had been in for 28 years. Her postoperative appearance was very acceptable to her and she did not desire breast lifting or re-augmentation.